What is the issue, law? - Kate IDEA, standing for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a legislation that was enacted in 1975. This legislation ensured that students with disabilities were given Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs and gives them all the resources that they need to be successful in public school. The overall goal of IDEA is to give children with disabilities equal educational opportunities as students who do not have disabilities.
IDEA is broken down into four different parts: general provisions of the law, educational assistance to all children with disabilities, services for infants and toddlers (birth - age 3) and national support of services at the federal level. IDEA also incorporates six major elements: IEP (individualised education program), FAPE (free and appropriate public education), LRE (least restrictive environment), appropriate evaluation, parent and teacher participation and procedural safeguards.
What implication did it have on public education at that time? - Costa Before IDEA students with disabilities were being denied entry to schools, or in some cases were kept in segregated spaces where they received little to no attention or instruction. With the many civil rights accomplishments in education leading up to IDEA, students with disabilities remained as a minority that was not being given an adequate education, nor had any legal right to one. When the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was enacted (the precursor to IDEA) the implication was that all children in the United States, regardless of race, gender, and now disability, would be properly educated, and given the instruction, accommodations and supports needed to succeed. IDEA didn’t stop at just requiring admittance to public schools. Students with disabilities are required to have an Individualized Education Program, and school faculty are required to report any time it is suspected that a student has a disability. In this way schools are held accountable for giving all students an adequate education, with the attention and supports they require.
What has changed and what does it look like in public schools today? - John Since 1975, when the law originally enacted, not much has changed. That being said, in 2004, it was revised a bit to align with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. IEP was included in this. This required there to be highly qualified teachers, establishment of goals for students with special needs and assessment levels for these individuals. The goals must similarly be aligned to the goals of students in general education programs.
Services for infants and toddlers were not introduced until 1986. This included all of the same things such as early interventions.
504-
What is the issue, law? - Kate 504 is a section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that guarantees certain rights to people with disabilities. 504 impacts not just public schools, but any program that receives federal funding, and made it so these federally funded programs had to be able to accommodate people with disabilities. In schools, 504 makes it so schools cannot deny students any rights, such as participation in school events or classes, because of their disability. While this is also covered in the IDEA, 504 covers a wider range of students that might not be covered under IDEA.
What implication did it have on public education at that time? - Costa Section 504 reaches beyond the classroom, and past young adulthood, as all Americans with disabilities benefit from the legislation. IDEA pertains only to students with disabilities in schools, but Section 504 affects all programs and organizations that receive federal funding, guaranteeing that individuals with disabilities are accommodated. In schools, Section 504 also gives accommodations to students who may not have a disability that is covered by IDEA, but that have a significant impairment that affects part of their lives. The implication of Section 504 is that students do not need to have a specific disability to receive support, and students that are covered by IDEA won’t be abandoned once they graduate or age out of the school system.
What has changed and what does it look like in public schools today? - John Today it is not just public schools but higher education that is imposed with regulations from the 504. Since it’s start, 504 has expanded to cover things like playgrounds, band, special programs and assemblies, field trips, clubs, afterschool and summer programs, graduation, and late bus transportation. Today there are 504 trainings where federally funded disability activists travel across the United States to explain to people with disabilities and local officials the rights guaranteed by the law. This was one way used to spread the disability rights movement beyond the San Francisco Bay area.
What is the issue, law? - Kate
IDEA, standing for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, is a legislation that was enacted in 1975. This legislation ensured that students with disabilities were given Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) that is tailored to their individual needs and gives them all the resources that they need to be successful in public school. The overall goal of IDEA is to give children with disabilities equal educational opportunities as students who do not have disabilities.
IDEA is broken down into four different parts: general provisions of the law, educational assistance to all children with disabilities, services for infants and toddlers (birth - age 3) and national support of services at the federal level. IDEA also incorporates six major elements: IEP (individualised education program), FAPE (free and appropriate public education), LRE (least restrictive environment), appropriate evaluation, parent and teacher participation and procedural safeguards.
What implication did it have on public education at that time? - Costa
Before IDEA students with disabilities were being denied entry to schools, or in some cases were kept in segregated spaces where they received little to no attention or instruction. With the many civil rights accomplishments in education leading up to IDEA, students with disabilities remained as a minority that was not being given an adequate education, nor had any legal right to one. When the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EHA) was enacted (the precursor to IDEA) the implication was that all children in the United States, regardless of race, gender, and now disability, would be properly educated, and given the instruction, accommodations and supports needed to succeed. IDEA didn’t stop at just requiring admittance to public schools. Students with disabilities are required to have an Individualized Education Program, and school faculty are required to report any time it is suspected that a student has a disability. In this way schools are held accountable for giving all students an adequate education, with the attention and supports they require.
What has changed and what does it look like in public schools today? - John
Since 1975, when the law originally enacted, not much has changed. That being said, in 2004, it was revised a bit to align with the requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. IEP was included in this. This required there to be highly qualified teachers, establishment of goals for students with special needs and assessment levels for these individuals. The goals must similarly be aligned to the goals of students in general education programs.
Services for infants and toddlers were not introduced until 1986. This included all of the same things such as early interventions.
504-
What is the issue, law? - Kate
504 is a section of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that guarantees certain rights to people with disabilities. 504 impacts not just public schools, but any program that receives federal funding, and made it so these federally funded programs had to be able to accommodate people with disabilities. In schools, 504 makes it so schools cannot deny students any rights, such as participation in school events or classes, because of their disability. While this is also covered in the IDEA, 504 covers a wider range of students that might not be covered under IDEA.
What implication did it have on public education at that time? - Costa
Section 504 reaches beyond the classroom, and past young adulthood, as all Americans with disabilities benefit from the legislation. IDEA pertains only to students with disabilities in schools, but Section 504 affects all programs and organizations that receive federal funding, guaranteeing that individuals with disabilities are accommodated. In schools, Section 504 also gives accommodations to students who may not have a disability that is covered by IDEA, but that have a significant impairment that affects part of their lives. The implication of Section 504 is that students do not need to have a specific disability to receive support, and students that are covered by IDEA won’t be abandoned once they graduate or age out of the school system.
What has changed and what does it look like in public schools today? - John
Today it is not just public schools but higher education that is imposed with regulations from the 504. Since it’s start, 504 has expanded to cover things like playgrounds, band, special programs and assemblies, field trips, clubs, afterschool and summer programs, graduation, and late bus transportation. Today there are 504 trainings where federally funded disability activists travel across the United States to explain to people with disabilities and local officials the rights guaranteed by the law. This was one way used to spread the disability rights movement beyond the San Francisco Bay area.